Ejection mechanism

ABSTRACT

A housing and ejection mechanism for PCMCIA electronic &#34;smart cards&#34; is disclosed. The ejection mechanism comprises a pair of cooperating lever arms and springs. When a &#34;smart card&#34; is inserted into the housing, the two lever arms pivot into the housing, extending an ejection spring. As the spring is pulled back by means of the lever arms, insertion of the card requires only slightly more force than would be needed to connect a &#34;smart card&#34; with its socket were no spring present. Full insertion of the card leaves the two lever arms coupled, but with only one of the lever arms locked in position. When the user triggers the ejection process, the two levers are mechanically separated and one of them applies the full spring force to the &#34;smart card&#34;, freeing it from its socket and starting to push it out of the housing. After the first arm frees the &#34;smart card&#34; from its socket, it frees the second lever arm from its latch. The two lever arms then cooperate to push the &#34;smart card&#34; further out of the housing. Once the ejection spring is fully released, a second small spring reunites the two levers, preparing the mechanism for the next insertion of a &#34;smart card&#34;. As only a small amount of force is needed to separate the two lever arms, a simple electronic ejection means can be used to trigger the ejection of the &#34;smart cards&#34;.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of digital computers and theirrelated peripherals. In particular, it relates to PCMCIA cards and theirinsertion into and ejection from computing devices.

Portable digital computers comprise one of the fastest growing segmentsof the computer industry. Users of portable computers make many mutuallycontradictory demands on the designers of such machines. Small size andlight weight are critical, but users still demand that their portablemachines provide them with all or nearly all of the capabilities oftheir home- or office-bound computer. Unfortunately, the permanentincorporation of devices such as floppy disk drives, modems, extramemory and others to provide the capabilities that the user demandssimultaneously increases the computer's weight and often its size.

Relatively recently, small removable devices have become available todesigners of portable computers, which devices allow the addition ofparticular features for whatever period of time that the user needsthem, but which can be easily removed whenever these capabilities are nolonger desired. At present such cards include flash memory cards, modemcards, hard disk drives and many other similar devices. The size of suchcards and their electrical interface has been agreed upon by thePersonal Computer Memory Card International Association ("PCMCIA") andthe cards are generically referred to in the industry as PCMCIA cards.For purposes of this application, such PCMCIA cards will be referencedas "cards" and the entire class of devices in which they can be usedwill be referenced as "computers". No limitations regarding thefunctions of such cards or their use in any type of device should beinferred therefrom.

As the availability and use of these cards has increased, many differentmechanisms have been used for both housing the cards while they areinserted in the computer and for ejecting them from the computer. As aresult of cost and size considerations, these card housings and ejectionmechanisms are usually mechanical, having no motor to assist theoperation of the device.

One such housing and ejection mechanism is illustrated in co-pendingpatent application Ser. No. 08/023,262, filed Feb. 23, 1993, entitled"Ejection Mechanism For Electronic Smart Cards" and assigned to AppleComputer, Inc. That application is incorporated herein for all purposes.The mechanism described therein utilizes a slide fitting which iscoupled to a pair of lever arms. Movement of the slide pivots the leverarms, which in turn apply force to the rear of the card, removing itfrom its electrical connector and pushing it far enough outside thehousing so that the user can easily grasp and remove it from thecomputer. Although the mechanism functions reasonably well, it requiresa relatively long travel path for the slide. Additionally, there is noability to eject the card without the user providing the necessaryejection force.

Other known housings and ejection mechanisms operate on the sameprinciples as those described in the incorporated reference. Variouslevers and slides are used to apply sufficient mechanical force to therear of the card to remove it from its connector and eject the card fromthe computer. In one, in order to generate sufficient force withoutrequiring that the eject pushbutton travel very far, a cam is located atthe end of the pushbutton's slide. Although this creates a smaller andmore compact ejection mechanism, it still requires that the user provideall the force necessary to eject the card at the time of the card'sejection. Even with the cam, the pushbutton slide extends further beyondthe card housing than is desirable.

Although at least one manufacturer of card housings and ejectionmechanisms has thought to provide springs to assist the ejectionprocess, the resultant mechanism has several important disadvantages. Astwo springs are located at the rear of the card housing, the springsbeing compressed and latched as cards are fully inserted into thehousing, a large amount of force is needed to compress the springs.Generally, a card requires 9 lbs. of force to remove it from itsconnector. Therefore, as the housings are generally constructed to houseup to two cards at a time, two 9 lb. springs are needed, which requiresthat the user insert the cards with 18 lbs. of force. This amount offorce is generally unacceptable for a typical user. Once released, thisejection mechanism can also apply too much force to the card, causing itto leave the housing completely upon ejection.

Known mechanisms have to date failed to provide a card housing andejection mechanism which does not require a great deal of force toinsert cards into it, which can eject cards smoothly and easily, withoutthe user providing the mechanical force for the ejection, and which canrespond to an internal, computer generated command to eject the card. Ahousing for this ejection mechanism which can hold the cards in a verycompact package without a pushbutton extending from the housing andwithout the cards themselves extending from the housing would also bevery desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In its first preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises ahousing for up to two cards and ejection mechanisms for both cards.Although this first embodiment is illustrated as being capable ofhousing and ejecting two separate cards, this description will onlydiscuss one of the ejection mechanisms in detail. In this firstembodiment, the construction and operation of the second ejectionmechanism is the mirror image of the first. In other embodiments, thedifferent ejection mechanisms will not necessarily be identical.

As a card is inserted into the present invention and contacts a fittingon a wind lever arm, an ejection lever arm and the wind lever arm, whichshare a pivot point and which are severably coupled together, are pushedbackwards into the housing, pivoting about the pivot point and extendinga first ejection spring. In the present invention, the user must supplyonly a small amount of force (about 1 lb.) to insert the card. As thecard is fully inserted into the housing, the wind lever arm latches intoplace. The ejection lever arm is not latched into place, but itsseverable connection with the wind lever arm prevents it from beingswung forward by the first ejection spring.

When the user wishes to eject the card, a small ejection button ispushed. Pushing this button breaks the severable connection between theejection lever arm and the wind lever arm, allowing the ejection leverarm to begin moving forward about the first pivot point. A small fittingon the ejection lever arm come into contact with the card shortly afterthe ejection lever arm begins moving forward and begins pushing againstthe card. Given the geometry of the ejection lever arm, the first pivotpoint and the fitting which contacts the card, as well as the force ofthe first ejection spring, a large force, sufficient to disconnect thecard from its electrical connector, is applied. This large forcecontinues to be applied to the card for a short distance.

As the ejection lever arm swings forward, the wind lever arm is moved asmall sideways distance, which disconnects it from its latch. After theejection lever arm continues to swing forward by another few degrees, astop on the ejection lever arm contacts the wind lever arm and the windlever arm begins to pivot forward along with the ejection lever arm. Atthis point, the small fitting on the ejection lever arm loses contactwith the card and a second small fitting on the wind lever arm comesinto contact with the card and begins pushing the card, under theimpetus of the first ejection spring. Given the respective placement ofthe fittings, the fitting on the ejection lever arm provided a largeamount of force (roughly 9.5 lbs.) over a short distance (4 mm) and thefitting on the wind lever provides a smaller motive force to the card,but over a longer distance.

Finally, as the first ejection spring returns to its fully relaxedstate, a second, re-cocking spring pulls the ejection lever arm and thewind lever arm into their original positions, which reestablishes theseverable connection between the two and readies the housing for thereinsertion of the card.

In a second preferred embodiment, a small electrically activatedmechanism provides the force needed to break the severable connectionbetween the two lever arms. In this embodiment, the mechanism is a smallpiece of memory metal which shrinks when a current is passed through it.The memory metal is then restretched to its original length by a smallreturn spring.

The present invention in all its embodiments allows the user to insertcards into the housing with only a small amount of force more than thatrequired merely to connect the card to its socket. As only a very smallforce is needed to initiate the ejection of the cards, the mechanicaleject button does not need to extend very far from the housing. Indeed,as only 1 to 2 mm of travel is generally required to break the severableconnection, the ejection button may be mounted flush with the housing.The two stage ejection process allows for fully ejecting the cardwithout simultaneously throwing it violently out of the housing.Additionally, the need for only a small force to eject the card allowsfor the incorporation of a very simple electrical ejection activationmeans.

The present invention will now be described in detail, in several of itspreferred embodiments. Reference will be made to the drawings listed anddescribed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric drawing of a first preferred embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective of the assembled first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a second top perspective of the first embodiment of thepresent invention, showing the lower eject lever arm and wind lever armin their forward position;

FIGS. 4a through 4g are wire frame drawings showing the operation of thefirst embodiment of the present invention as a card is inserted into it;and

FIGS. 5a through 5j are wire drawings showing the operation of the firstembodiment of the present invention as a card is ejected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, the first embodiment of the present invention iscomprised of top ejection lever arm 10, bottom ejection lever arm 20,top wind lever arm 30, bottom wind lever arm 40, top carrier 50, bottomcarrier 60, top first ejection spring 70, bottom first ejection spring80, top re-cock spring 90, bottom re-cock spring 100, top unlatch bar110, bottom unlatch bar 120, top metal shield 130, bottom metal shield140, latch springs 170 and 180 and one-way latch 190. FIG. 2 furthershows top ejection button 150 and bottom ejection button 160.

As the construction and operation of both the top and bottom housing andejection mechanisms are the same, albeit mirror images of one another,this description will only describe in detail the construction andoperation of the bottom housing and ejection mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 1, bottom ejection lever arm 20 is further comprised offirst ejection spring attachment arm 21, male severable coupling 22,first wind lever pivot 23, first card ejection arm 24, ejection leverarm pivot 25, and wind lever catch arm 26. Bottom wind lever arm 40further comprises second wind lever pivot 41, latch ratchet 42, femaleseverable coupling 43, re-cock spring attachment arm 44, and second cardejection arm 45. Bottom carrier 60 is further comprised of card slots62, ejection spring attachment point 61, re-cock spring attachment point63, and card connector 64. Not shown in FIG. 1, but immediately belowtop carrier ejection lever arm pivot socket 55, is bottom carrierejection lever arm pivot socket 65.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the assembled housing and card ejection mechanism. InFIG. 2, both pairs of lever arms are illustrated in their fully extendedposition. They would be in this position when two cards have been fullyinserted into the housing. FIG. 3 shows bottom ejection lever arm 20 andbottom wind lever arm 40 in their forward position, ready for a card tobe inserted.

The process of inserting a card into the housing and arming the ejectionmechanism is illustrated in FIG. 4a through 4g. At the start of theprocess (FIG. 4a), bottom ejection lever arm 20 and bottom wind leverarm 40 are in their fully forward, first position. Male severablecoupling 22 is inserted into female severable coupling 43, thus linkingthe ejection lever arm and the wind lever arm together. Bottom firstejection spring 80, coupled between ejection spring attachment point 61and ejection spring attachment arm 21, is in its first, fully relaxedposition. As card 200 is inserted (FIG. 4b), it contacts second cardejection arm 45. As the card is further inserted (FIGS. 4c,d and e), thecoupled lever arms pivot about ejection lever arm pivot 25, extendingfirst ejection spring 80. As the coupled arms move even further back(FIG. 4f), latch ratchet 42 engages with one-way latch 190. Bottom windlever arm 40 cannot move forward after it engages with latch 190. Asejection arm 20 is coupled to wind lever arm 40, it also cannot moveforward. The completion of the insertion process (FIG. 4g) shows spring80 extended to its fullest extent. In this fully cocked position, noforce is placed on the card. Latch 190 and ratchet 42 hold the entirespring force.

The card ejection process is illustrated in FIGS. 5a through 5j. Whenpushbutton 160 is depressed, bottom unlatch bar 120 slides into thehousing. A small, wedge shaped portion of the end of unlatch bar 120 isthereby pushed between ejection lever 20 and wind lever 40, deflectingejection lever 20 slightly downwards and forcing male severable coupling22 out of female severable coupling 43. With proper design, the distancethat unlatch bar 120 must travel is quite small, allowing the ejectionbutton to be mounted nearly flush with the housing of the presentinvention. After pushing the ejection button, one-way latch 190 is stillengaged with ratchet 42, which prevents wind lever 40 from moving.However, forcing male severable coupling 22 downwards and out fromfemale severable coupling 43 permits bottom first ejection lever 20 tobegin moving forward (FIGS. 5b,c and d). First card ejection arm 24comes into contact with card 200 and applies a high force (roughly 9.5lbs.) to the rear edge of the card, freeing it from the electricalconnector. This force is only applied over a relatively short distance(4 mm in the first preferred embodiment).

As ejection lever arm 20 pivots about ejection lever arm pivot 25, it isalso translating around first and second wind lever pivots 23 and 41.This translating movement eventually pulls wind lever arm 40sufficiently far to one side that ratchet 42 pulls away from and clearsone-way latch 190 (FIG. 5d). After clearing the latch, wind lever arm 40and ejection lever arm 20 continue to pivot forward around pivot 25.Second card ejection arm 45 comes into contact with card 200 (FIG. 5f)and continues to push card 200 out of the housing. First card ejectionarm 24 loses contact with the card and does not contribute further tothe ejection process. At this point, the force applied to the card hasdropped, but this smaller force is being applied over a longer distance(FIGS. 5f through 5h).

As first ejection spring fully releases its stored energy in ejectingthe card, re-cock spring 100 also begins to contract, pulling wind leverarm 40 and ejection lever arm 20 closer together around pivot points 23and 41 (FIG. 5i). As the two lever arms are pulled together, maleseverable coupling 22 is pulled under part of wind lever arm 40 andextends itself into female severable coupling 43. Once the severablecouplings are again coupled and re-cock spring 100 has fully releasedits stored energy, then the ejection mechanism is once again ready forthe insertion of another card (FIG. 5j).

As the initiating of the ejection process only requires that theseverable coupling between the ejection lever arm and the wind lever armbe severed, and as severing the coupling requires only a small amount ofenergy and a small deflection of the wind lever arm and the ejectionlever arm relative to one another, a second embodiment of the presentinvention has incorporated a software controlled electrical ejection,wherein the pushbutton does not need to be pushed. In this embodiment,once the user has told the computer to eject the card, a signal is sentto the ejection mechanism. A small piece of memory metal, which shortenswhen a current is passed through it, receives this signal and begins toshorten. As it does, it can pull a small wedge-like object between thetwo lever arms, thereby uncoupling them and allowing the ejection leverarm to begin pivoting forward. It may also be possible to couple thememory metal directly to the first ejection lever arm and to use thecontraction of the metal to pull the ejection arm apart from the windlever arm. Again, as the force required to separate the two lever armsand begin the ejection process is small, many variations on this methodwill work equally well.

The present invention has now been described in detail, in the contextof several specific embodiments. Nothing herein should be taken to limitthis invention to the particular embodiments discussed. For example, thepresent invention could be used to eject credit or banking transactioncards from automatic teller machines, using the software initiatedejection, or the mechanism could be used to eject floppy disks from afloppy disk drive. The length of the lever arms, as well as the springs,may be varied to provide various levels of ejection force. A solenoidcould be used instead of the memory metal to provide a software driven,electrically activated ejection. Given the various possibilities, thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than in an restrictive manner.

What is claimed is:
 1. An ejection mechanism for ejecting electronicallyactive cards from a housing capable of holding at least oneelectronically active card, the housing having a first card slot forinserting electronically active cards and a rear end having at least oneconnector for coupling the electronically active card to a computingdevice, the ejection mechanism comprising:a first lever arm mounted onthe housing by a first pivot, the first lever arm pivoting about thefirst pivot towards the rear end as an electronically active card isinserted into the first card slot; a first ejection spring coupled tothe housing and the first lever arm, the first ejection spring beingtensioned as the electronically active card is inserted into the firstcard slot; a second lever arm, the second lever arm being mounted on thefirst lever arm by a second pivot, the second lever arm pivoting aboutthe second pivot; a severable coupling mounted on the first and secondlever arms, the severable coupling holding the first and second leverarms together as an electronically active card is inserted into thehousing; a latch mounted on the housing, the latch releasably engagingthe second lever arm when the electronically active card has coupledwith the connector; and means for severing the severable coupling, themeans for severing the coupling being triggered by a user of thecomputing device, the severing of the coupling allowing the first leverarm to pivot about the first pivot, forcing the electronically activecard towards and out of the first card slot.
 2. The ejection mechanismof claim 1 wherein the means for severing the severable couplingcomprises at least a first pushbutton mounted on the housing, and afirst slide means coupled to the housing and the first pushbutton,pressing the first pushbutton forcing the first slide means between thefirst and second lever arms, the second lever arm remaining latched bythe latch and the first lever arm moving towards the front card slotunder the impetus of the first ejection spring.
 3. The ejectionmechanism of claim 1 wherein the means for severing the severablecoupling comprises an electronically activated electromechanical meanstriggered by a user of the computing device, the electronicallyactivated electromechanical means forcing the first and second leverarms apart, allowing the first lever arm to move towards the front cardslot and the second lever arm to remain stationary.
 4. The ejectionmechanism of claim 1 wherein the location of the first pivot and thefirst ejection spring allows the electronically active card to be fullyinserted into the housing using only a small amount of force greaterthan that needed to couple the electronically active card to theconnector.
 5. The ejection mechanism of claim 1 wherein the second leverarm is released from the latch by means of the movement of the firstlever arm as it pivots about the first pivot toward the first card slot.6. The ejection mechanism of claim 5 wherein a re-cocking spring iscoupled to the second lever arm and the housing, the re-cocking springreestablishing the severable coupling after the first lever arm hasmoved toward the front card slot and the first ejection spring hasreleased its tension.
 7. The ejection mechanism of claim 5 wherein alarge amount of force is applied to the electronically active card untilthe second lever arm is released and a smaller force being applied tothe electronically active card thereafter until the first ejectionspring has fully released its tension.
 8. A housing for at least onecard conforming to the PCMCIA standard, the housing having a front endwith a slot for receiving the card and a rear connector block forcoupling the card to a computing device, the housing having an ejectionmeans, the ejection means comprising:first lever means pivotably mountedon the housing; first spring means for biasing the first lever meansinto a first forward position, the first spring means being tensionedwhen inserting a card into the slot moves the first lever means into asecond rear position; second lever means mounted on the first levermeans and coupled releasably thereto; latch means for holding the secondlever means in the second rear position when the card is fully insertedinto the housing; means for releasing the first lever means from thesecond lever means, allowing the first lever arm to return to the firstforward position by means of the first spring means; and second springmeans for recoupling the first and second lever means.
 9. The housing ofclaim 8 wherein the first and second lever means are coupled together bymeans of a male fitting on the first lever means and a female fitting onthe second lever means.
 10. The housing of claim 9 wherein the means forreleasing the first lever means from the second lever means comprises asliding wedge means mounted on the housing, the sliding wedge meansbeing coupled to a button means, pressing the button means forcing thewedge means between the male and female fittings.
 11. The housing ofclaim 10 wherein the sliding wedge means is moved between the male andfemale fittings by an electromechanical means.
 12. The housing of claim11 wherein the electromechanical means comprises a piece of memory metalwhich contracts when receiving an electrical ejection signal, thecontraction of the memory metal pulling the sliding wedge between themale and female fittings.